With the advent of higher energy costs, the evaporative cooler as an air conditioning system is again assuming prominence in the marketplace. Its installation and operating costs are more economical than a refrigeration unit and even where a refrigeration system is needed, the trend is now to utilize both types working together to provide an air conditioning system.
While the cost of operating an evaporative cooling system is considerably less expensive than that of a mechanical refrigeration system incorporating compressors and condensers, further improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency of the evaporative cooler are economically desirable. The present invention provides a means for enhancing the cooling efficiency of an existing evaporative cooler, the means comprising a set of auxiliary evaporator pads mounted in a shell that may be fitted over and around the existing cooler In this arrangement, the air to be cooled first passes through the auxiliary pads for precooling before entering the main evaporative cooler.